


smiles don't kill

by kanjogirl



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 01:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2713961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanjogirl/pseuds/kanjogirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's an odd feeling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	smiles don't kill

She’s new.  
  
  
Well, not brand new.  She’s been around for a few meetings.  And, yeah, he’s noticed but it’s not exactly customary to prance up and greet yourself.  Instead, Raleigh merely sat back for a bit.  He’s used to that nowadays.  With Veterans, it’s a little different, he’s realized.  And almost everyone here is a vet.  
  
  
  
It’s for PTSD.  He’s a senior member while she’s been attending about five times.  She comes each night, sits in that chair while everyone else is mingling quietly and her hands are folded into her lap.  And after every meeting, she leaves faster than he blink.  He’s not sure why there’s something different about her; something he feels he should have known already but Raleigh leaves it alone.  
  
  
  
They’ve linked eyes several times.  She keeps staring and he tries smiling, ducks his head before further embarrassment.     
  
  
  
Tonight, she gets up to get water while he’s at the table already.  They serve soda and other drinks.  He usually gets coffee because it won’t affect his sleep anyway (when insomnia has you, it doesn’t leave for awhile, he’s learned).  She reaches for a water bottle, her shoulder brushes against his forearm and he moves with her without thinking, not even quick realizing she was there to begin with.    
  
  
  
It’s an odd feeling.  Not bad.  Not good.  Just odd.  
  
  
  
She stands there then.  Instead of returning to her seat, water bottle in her left hand.  He stares back, unsure but not quite uncomfortable.    
  
  
  
"Good evening," she says, voice tight and straight as an arrow.  
  
  
  
His is like water, words falling out of his mouth and splashing onto the floor.  ”Yeah—-evening.”  
  
  
  
And she smiles.  It’s slow and looks like it might kill her.  But he’s grinning and puts his hand out for her to shake but she takes a shallow bow before he can.  And so he does the same. 

**Author's Note:**

> Written on tumblr for a prompt.


End file.
